Rahul, Easwaran to open in India A's 2nd unofficial Test
What's the story
KL Rahul will open the batting alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran in India A's second unofficial Test against Australia A, starting Thursday in Melbourne. The decision comes as India may miss Rohit Sharma at the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Rahul-Easwaran match-up could decide who partners Yashasvi Jaiswal for the first Test in Perth, slated for November 22. Here's more.
Team adjustments
Gaikwad to move down the order
As per ESPNcricinfo, Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, who reached Australia before the rest of the Test squad to get some match experience with India A, are both likely to feature in the Melbourne four-day game. With Rahul opening with Easwaran, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad will likely drop down into the middle order. Jurel is expected to replace Ishan Kishan behind the stumps.
Player profiles
Easwaran's impressive record and Rahul's experience
Easwaran was included in the Test squad for the Australia tour as the third opener, having scored centuries in all of his last four first-class games. He has an incredible record of 27 centuries in 100 matches at an average of 49.40. Meanwhile, Rahul has been mostly a middle-order batter since the 2023-24 South Africa tour, having scored 339 runs in 10 innings. Overall, Rahul owns 2,981 runs, averaging 33.87.
Career trajectory
Rahul's potential return to opening position
Rahul has plenty of experience against the new ball overseas and is one of only two Asian openers to have scored Test centuries in England, South Africa, and Australia. If he comes back to the opening slot, it would be reminiscent of his 2021 England tour where he filled a void at the top due to injuries. By the 2024-25 home season, Rahul had established himself as India's first-choice No. 6 but was later usurped by Sarfaraz Khan.
Selection dilemmas
Uncertainty over Sarfaraz's position and Jurel's potential role
Sarfaraz doesn't start the Australia tour as a certain pick in the XI. After scoring 150, he couldn't go past 19 in four innings against New Zealand and has never played Test cricket outside India. Considering the fast, bouncy conditions in Perth, India could still be torn between picking Sarfaraz at No. 6 or playing Rahul there- if Rohit is missing- or picking both Jurel and Rishabh Pant and playing one of them as a specialist batter.